Occurrence of Aspergillus allahabadii on sandstone at Bayon temple, Angkor Thom, Cambodia

TY - JOUR

T1 - Occurrence of Aspergillus allahabadii on sandstone at Bayon temple, Angkor Thom, Cambodia

AU - Hu, Hongli

AU - Ding, Shunping

AU - Katayama, Yoko

AU - Kusumi, Asako

AU - Li, Shu Xian

AU - de Vries, Ronald P.

AU - Wang, Jing

AU - Yu, Xiao Zhang

AU - Gu, Ji Dong

N1 - Funding Information: This research project through JSA was supported by the UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the preservation of the World Cultural Heritage. Additional support was also by the Environmental Toxicology Fund (J-DG). The authors (YK and J-DG) would like to thank APSARA Authority and Ministry on Environment, the Kingdom of Cambodia, for permission to collect samples and transport them outside Cambodia for analysis and examination.

PY - 2013/1

Y1 - 2013/1

N2 - Microbial biofilms on surface of sandstone is detrimental to the integrity of the substratum material and they are biodeteriogens responsible for the damage of sandstone over time. We observed that fungi formed extensive biofilms on areas previously colonized by autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial biofilms causing darkening of the stone surface. Appearance of fungi on these biofilms has resulted in removal of the preformed biofilm through extensive examination of sandstone surfaces in Angkor Thom, Cambodia. One fungus, isolated from the surface with capability of removing biofilms, was purified and identified as Aspergillus allahabadii during our survey and sampling of microbial biofilms at Bayon temple, Angkor Thom, Cambodia in 2008. Ribosomal RNA (ITS and 5.8S) and β-tubulin gene sequences were phylogenetically analyzed to confirm the taxonomy of this strain. In addition, its protein profile and enzyme assays were also carried out and β-galactosidase was the highest among 7 enzymes tested. Our results suggest that fungi may have an important role in removing microbial biofilms on surfaces of stone and potential mechanisms and applications are discussed.

AB - Microbial biofilms on surface of sandstone is detrimental to the integrity of the substratum material and they are biodeteriogens responsible for the damage of sandstone over time. We observed that fungi formed extensive biofilms on areas previously colonized by autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial biofilms causing darkening of the stone surface. Appearance of fungi on these biofilms has resulted in removal of the preformed biofilm through extensive examination of sandstone surfaces in Angkor Thom, Cambodia. One fungus, isolated from the surface with capability of removing biofilms, was purified and identified as Aspergillus allahabadii during our survey and sampling of microbial biofilms at Bayon temple, Angkor Thom, Cambodia in 2008. Ribosomal RNA (ITS and 5.8S) and β-tubulin gene sequences were phylogenetically analyzed to confirm the taxonomy of this strain. In addition, its protein profile and enzyme assays were also carried out and β-galactosidase was the highest among 7 enzymes tested. Our results suggest that fungi may have an important role in removing microbial biofilms on surfaces of stone and potential mechanisms and applications are discussed.

KW - Aspergillus allahabadii

KW - Biodeterioration

KW - Cultural heritage

KW - Extracellular enzymes

KW - Microbial biofilm

KW - Sandstone

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84871815227&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ibiod.2012.06.022

DO - 10.1016/j.ibiod.2012.06.022

M3 - 文章

AN - SCOPUS:84871815227

SN - 0964-8305

VL - 76

SP - 112

EP - 117

JO - International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation

JF - International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation

ER -